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I like rucking, but be careful before you go all-in on this popular workout fad

Before you spend upwards of $500 on a Goruck rucksack, weighted plates, hiking boots, and other tech, make sure you know what you're getting into.

The concept of rucking is simple: Walking has cardiovascular benefits, but if you put on a heavy rucksack, your heart will hit higher, fat-burning zones, your upper and lower body muscles will develop, and even your bone density will improve without taking that much extra time or being as high-impact as running. Unlike my fellow journalists who probably got gifted or expensed Goruck packs, I had to decide whether to spend $300–400 on a proper rucksack with fancy support straps and designed pouches for weight plates, as r/Rucking users recommend, or use a "normal" backpack and risk straining my lower back. When I checked this article from a Navy Seal about rucking, he had a similar, reasonable estimate to my findings: a "40%-50%" caloric boost from a 50-pound pack for military folk better trained for extra weight.

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